These golden, dangly, fun earrings are made from magazine paper! Rolled into delicate cylinders and strung onto these perfectly sized hoops. Light and pretty, a compliment to any outfit day or night.
I've written about Global Goods Partners in the past...because I positively love what they do!
Smitten again and again.
Alice and Whittles reinforces what we already know to be true: socially conscious products are beautiful, well-made, and have a huge positive impact that ripples through workers’ communities. Their Black Ankle Rain Boots are gorgeous, long-lasting, and stylish for both men and women.
Alice and Whittles was born from Sofi and Nicholas Horekens, a couple who met while working at the UN. They believed that starting a new company could be a long-lasting source of progress, and began by seeking a swiss company to design a fashion-forward, minimalist rubber boot. They are made by hand in Sri Lanka, and contain rubber only from FSC Certified rubber tree forests. Alice and Whittles not only provides fair wage jobs for workers and farmers, they also partner with the Fair Rubber Association to understand and provide what rubber workers need most in their community - a center with reliable internet, subsidized meals, discounted products for the home, options for insurance, and access to loans.
Smitten and ready for rainy days..!
This uncomplicated, elegant, confident piece of jewelry for men has a power all its own. The craftsmanship is bold and distinguished...adventuresome. Pig and Hen have created a line of jewelry for men..."meant to survive a lifetime, stronger than steel and will age like your wrinkled face."
I landed in Amsterdam a couple of days ago for a reunion with my husband who was working on a film just outside the city. We had been apart for too many weeks...I love buying him gifts...I wanted to find something special to commemorate our reconnection.
While strolling Rozengracht that first afternoon, I landed at the door of Les Deux Freres - a posh, distinctive men's store that beckoned me in with its heavy lush aroma. I went straight to the accessories counter, and there were these black shackle and rope arm bands. I really liked the titanium toggle and the monikers, this one is called "Legendary Larry".
I am totally notablySmitten with Pig and Hen's message and story:
In the early 1600’s the Dutch were the leading nation sailing out to unknown parts of the world, with the biggest naval fleet the world had ever seen. With some serious sea legs, they discovered new lands, different ways of life but also ran into some big obstacles along the way.
To protect themselves against bad luck the men had a tattoo of a pig and a hen on their feet. It was believed it gave the sailors the ability to survive when they had to abandon ship.
The sailors felt they would be able to find land, just like the Pig and Hen who were kept in wooden crates and thus floated, and would let the tide bring them home.
Pig&Hen will save your life, even in a tight situation.
Their bracelets are handmade in Amsterdam, using authentic ship rope...they carry on the Dutch legacy.
Yes, Smitten.
The message is clear on this clean, crisp-white, racerback t from Sudara, "We Will Be Free"! Alliance and unification are the words between the words that sweep across this flawless, fresh tank.
I wrote about Shannon Keith's company Sudara (once the International Princess Project) for notablySmitten.com back in September of 2014 for the first time. Sudara is an organization helping young women in India escape and recover from the sex slavery industry that is rampant there.
I am crazy about Punjammies, wonderfully comfortable loungewear that can be worn indoors and out, made from Sari material and created by the women being trained and helped out of the industry. I am bananas about the vision of this organization and all that they have done for the young women of India since 2005.
If you're looking for a great summer gift for you or a girlfriend, consider this!
Smitten with Sudara.
The Summer Lovin Necklace Stack from The Shine Project is the perfect accompaniment to a sundress or beachy outfit. We love it when doing good, looking good and feeling good are all wrapped into one great accessory!
The Shine Project’s jewelry line was born from blogger Ashley LeMieux’s desire to provide scholarships for her under-prepared and potentially college-bound mentees. What started as a group of students making friendship bracelets in Ashley’s condo - initially called Threads by The Shine Project - has grown into a full fledged for-profit company with a beautiful line of accessories. Thier mission is to provide scholarships, life experience, employment and mentoring to teens who otherwise would not have the resources to seek higher education. Since 2011, The Shine Project has provided over 40 Scholarships, and currently employs 11 inner city students at their Phoenix, Arizona workspace. In addition to the support from product purchases, 100% of direct donations go to providing books and supplies to their scholarship recipients.
Shine on! Smitten.
The Dressember dress from Elegantees is a beautiful, easy dress to ring in the New Year with...and an easy wear for the spring! I love the casual neckline and asymmetrical hem!
Elegantees is a relative newcomer to the fashion industry and supports a great system of change. Founded by Katie Martinez in 2010, their mission is to provide hope, fair wages and independence to survivors of sex trafficking in Nepal. Elegantees partnered with the Nepali Rescue Project, an organization that helps to pull 20,000 women and children each year from sex trafficking, and quickly realized that creating a income system had a far greater effect on life quality than charitable gifts. After providing counseling and helping women find a safe home, Elegantees teaches women to create classic garments at their own sewing center in Kathmandu.
As a company that has only reached their 5-year mark, Elegantees has evolved a great deal since its inception and clearly is on the right track to making a huge difference in the lives of women in Nepal.
Grateful and Smitten.
Beautiful designs and an innovative approach to creation make Anekdot a notablySmitten favorite!
Pictured here is the Cherry Blossom Set. Sheer, pink and perfect.
Anekdot is an innovative and unique company that approaches fashion and creativity in a totally revolutionary way. Rather than designing undergarments and seeking textiles to fulfill those visions, they focus first on the fabrics and allow those vintage and reclaimed textiles to dictate the designs and collections.
The result of this process is a beautiful collection of bras, knickers and loungewear that leaves a significantly smaller ecological footprint by minimizing waste and shifting the fashion industry’s level of responsibility.
Anekdot turns left-behinds and leftovers into beautiful, wearable collections!
Forward-thinking...We're Smitten.
Naja Knickers are eco-conscious, adorably designed, and socially conscious every step of the way: our favorite kind of notable trifecta! Every single design is more adorable, sexy and stylish than the next!
Naja is the entrepreneurial brainchild of Catalina Girald, an attorney-turned-traveler-turned-activist, and Gina Rodriguez, an award-winning-actress-and-latino-community-supporter. Naja was created in an effort to shift the way lingerie is made and marketed so that it is empowering, not objectifying, for the “smart, courageous and sexy women of today”. With factories that employ primarily single mothers and female heads of households, Naja pays above market wages, allows for flexible scheduling, and provides school clothes, supplies and lunches to the children of their employees. In addition to their factories, Naja employs women in the slums of Columbia to sew garment bags in their homes through their Underwear for Hope program - 2% of all purchases go towards funding this program.
In addition to all the socially-conscious efforts, Naja prints all their awesome knicker graphics digitally to minimize their environmental footprint.
Smitten with Girl Power!
Crew socks are not the most exciting item in your drawer - unless they’re Pact Men’s Crew Socks! Anytime I see these fun, patterned socks peeking out above a man’s shoes I can’t help but smile!
The simple statement that “People Make Your Clothes” sends the clear message that Pact is fully committed to sweatshop free and ethically produced clothing. Every step of the way, Pact is creating a product that considers the human experience - they compensate adults with fair wages instead of child laborers, run factories that are at the top of social and environmental standards, and only work with farmers who use organic methods of pest control on non-GMO cotton.
This commitment makes them a major leader in changing the apparel industry for the better, and Pact has plenty to back up their good deeds. They have partnered with OCS (Organic Content Standard), GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), and Fair Trade USA to certify the organic content in each and every item.
Enjoy Pact’s super soft cotton products knowing they are ethically made, every step of the way!
Oh-so Smitten!
Looking for a versatile, flattering, fun-but-still-elegant dress to kick off wedding season? Look no further than the beautiful kimono wrap dress from Symbology clothing!
Symbology was founded by Marissa Heyl after a trip to India in 2006. Her mission - in short - is to make fair trade sexy! Symbology strives to make fair trade the norm in the fashion industry, and fuses beautiful tradition fabrics and patterns from India and the West Bank with modern, fashion-forward designs. By partnering directly with artisans, these talented women are empowered to exercise their skills in weaving, block printing or embroidery. These artisans are able to continue their trades and traditions while earning wages that allow their families to thrive.
Each collection centers around a motif or theme, and I love the playfulness of each unique print! The fall/winter collection, entitled “Birds of a Feather”, features super flattering cuts in patterns that are printed by women in India using ancient hand-block printing methods.
Fashionably Smitten!
Kuyichi’s Aiden PLP SS t-shirts are 100% organic fairtrade cotton, super soft, and look great draped over any man’s shoulders!
Kuyichi can be credited for starting the fair-trade revolution and raising environmental awareness in the fashion industry. They were the first to introduce organic cotton and fair trade sourcing, and insist on reaching sustainability (both economic and environmental) while producing their products. They are members of the Fair Wear Foundation, and provide transparency by publicly reporting their environmental and social sustainability progress to Made-By each year.
Since 2001 they have paved the way for so many other culturally-conscious clothing brands, and continue to be at the forefront of good practices in every single aspect of their production. In an effort to minimize waste and maximize positive effects, Kuyichi strives to become “closed loop” in their production and sourcing. In 2008, they partnered with the Climate Neutral Group in an effort to minimize the greenhouse gasses from their factories, offices and modes of transportation. They hold high standards for factory conditions, provide fair wages for the individuals working, and emphasize the goal of mindful production.
Impressed and Smitten.
Mela Artisans’ gold and turquoise Cleopatra Earrings are fit for a queen! I love that they are completely handmade, as well as their slightly retro shape, bold color palette, and traditional elegance!
After a life-long appreciation for the handcrafted goods and jewelry from India, father-daughter duo Navroze S. Mehta and Sonali Mehta Rao recognized a growing problem for indigenous artisans - the ability to market their products and sustain their livelihood. After reading one too many articles about artisans trading their time-honored skills for unskilled laborer jobs in large cities, Mela Artisans was created as a platform to connect these craftsman to the global market, as well as preserve the traditional methods necessary to create these handicrafts.
In addition to this mission, Mela gives 1% of sales back to the artisans’ communities. This fund provides basic needs for these artisans to succeed as independent entrepreneurs, such as medical care for their families or solar energy for improved workshop lighting.
Mela translates to ‘Festival’ in Hindi, and I couldn’t agree more - their products come together as a true festival of beautiful handmade goods!
Smitten!
Kenneth Cole has been melding socially conscious commentary and fashion for decades now. When I think of the companies that I seek to support, where capitalism and community work together in social agreement...I think of Kenneth Cole.
[Pictured here: CROPPED BODICE COWLNECK DRESS by Kenneth Cole Black Label]
Today, Kenneth Cole Productions is an American fashion house that designs men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories. But the thriving company started solely as a footwear line.
In 1982, Cole went to an Italian shoe factory with the intention of designing a high-end product that would be profitable and support his lifestyle. Yet quite immediately he realized, that if his purpose of action were to do the right thing, money would flow.
"I do believe if I could make it about something that's more sustainable than hem lengths, heel heights, then so becomes my relationship with my customer — more about what they stand in but what they stand for. Not just of what they wear, but of what they are aware."
Cole's brand is known for its provocative commentary on political issues through its advertising. The voice of the brand was particularly memorable in the eighties and nineties, when Cole used advertising to support causes such as gay rights and AIDS research.
Forever Smitten with this brand.
These vivid, recycled, wrapped, rubber bangles are so well constructed and hip, they make me happy!
Made With Love bracelets are made by a Women's Cooperative in Djenne', Mali, West Africa.
In 2007 designer Mary Jane Marcasiano formed MADE WITH LOVE. MWL is a global call to action, dedicated to raising funds and awareness for NGOs aiding women and children. Through the production and sale of products that provide a fair income for women in Brazil and Africa, Made With Love is addressing the need for aid.
Made With Love works in tandem with the Cygnet Foundation, which through the proceeds realized from art-related programs, seeks to help those in need: women and children, the homeless, the hungry as well as abandoned and endangered animals.
The women are paid a fair price for their work, so the money the bracelets provide create a means of support, and are sold to raise funds for L'Empire des Enfants.
L'Empire des Enfants is a center for homeless children from the streets of Dakar, Senegal. L'Empire grants shelter, meals, education and training programs. They also work with local organizations to return homeless children to their families.
Smitten.
What a choice way to start the New Year...this delectABLE, stackABLE ring from fashionABLE...talk about starting the new year with intention!
Delicate, feminine, dazzling, delightful.
These stamp rings can be custom made. All rings are 14K Gold Fill, Sterling Silver or 14K Rose Gold Fill. And you can choose up to 5 characters per ring.
That being stated, I like the idea of wearing the ABLE ring to start the year. It's prescient...and sets the tone!
I adore fashionABLE and have written about them several times before here...and here.
Smitten one more time.
Exciting, eye-catching, ear candy: classic gold shimmering hoop earrings. Strung with metallic faceted beads...perfectly wearable day or night.
These yummy hoops are available in both Gold and Silver and have a 2 1/4" drop, with a 1 1/2" width.
I love these earrings, but I love the company behind them more.
Purpose jewelry, is handcrafted by survivors of modern-day slavery.
100% of the proceeds from Purpose benefit International Sanctuary, a non-profit that provides holistic care for young women rescued from sex trafficking.
When a girl escapes or is rescued from sex trafficking she is faced with an enormous level of trauma with very little support.
In 2007, International Sanctuary (iSanctuary) was created to address the needs of these young women through holistic care and empowerment. The women are offered mentorship, education, medical and dental care, scholarships, and micro-loans to prepare them for brighter futures.
In September 2014, International Sanctuary launched Purpose, a way to empower the survivors through employment and financial stability. The women are able to enjoy a healthy workplace, free to laugh and grow. A place that helps to transform these once victims, into skilled artisans, survivors...and thrivers.
Super Smitten!
Cool, comfy, confident...these pretty, applause worthy panties are made of a soft organic bamboo fabric and decorous, floral lace.
This is how Madi apparel works:
- Madi creates a beautiful pair of panties here in the US, using a very practical and sustainable bamboo fabric.
- You buy said panties for yourself, or several friends!
- Madi then donates a pair to a woman in need.
- As underwear is the most under-donated item...you've just helped a fellow sister feel more comfortable and supported.
"Underwear is a woman’s most personal garment -- we know what we’re attracted to and feel most comfortable in."
This company, created by the lovely Hayley Besheer in Kansas City, Missouri in 2014, is outstanding!
Undeniably Smitten!
My husband travels A LOT!! He's in the film industry and finds traveling with a backpack (as carry-on,) works best for him. Well, this is going to be under the tree this year, and I'm confident he'll be rockin' this re-cycled, polished, super hip Artigan bag from Matt & Nat in 2016.
100% vegan, up-cycled materials, superior craftsmanship, ideally designed...for both men and women.
notablySmitten first introduced Matt & Nat in May of this year, and we are still crazy about them.
Utterly Smitten.
I love the new oxidized finish on The Giving Keys classic necklaces. I wrote my first article about The Giving Keys when I was looking for an anniversary gift for my husband...something significant and loving.
I am grateful and thrilled that this organization exists. Go The Giving Keys!
My being Smitten continues...
Gracefully wrapped beads, delicately strung together to create dazzling neckwear. I couldn't love 31 Bits more!!
Perfectly named The Romantic...it is whimsical, hip and pretty. A simple strand of gold accent beads adorned by a row of marble shaped paper beads, here shown in Cream and Gold.
The Romantic is also available in: Cream, Black, Multi and Mint.
- Handmade in Uganda
- Beads are made from recycled paper
- Approximately 29" when laid flat
- Single strand
- Fastens with a button clasp
All their beads are made from recycled paper. "All accessories are handmade in Uganda with exceptional quality and sophisticated design."
More information on 31 Bits from notablySmitten.
Always and forever...Smitten.